Sell a write-off, non-runner or MOT failure

A car that will not start, has failed its MOT or has been written off by an insurer is hard to sell privately, and most dealers will not take it. We buy them. We collect on a recovery truck, so the car does not need to be driveable, taxed or insured.

Non-runners

Tell us what you know: whether the engine turns over, when the car last ran, and anything a garage has told you. A car with a failed clutch is worth more than one with a seized engine, and the more we know, the more accurate the quote. The car needs to be somewhere a recovery truck can reach, on firm ground and close enough to winch.

MOT failures and cars with no MOT

It is legal to sell a car without an MOT. It is not legal to drive it on the road, other than to a pre-booked test, which is why we collect. Tell us what it failed on if you know. We look at the MOT history for your registration when we prepare your quote.

Insurance write-offs

Insurers put written-off cars into four categories. Tell us which one yours is when you ask for a quote.

• Cat N: damage that is not structural. The car can be repaired and go back on the road.
• Cat S: structural damage that can be repaired.
• Cat B: the body shell must be crushed, although parts can be reused.
• Cat A: the whole car must be crushed.

Cat C and Cat D are the older names, used before October 2017, for what are now Cat S and Cat N. If your insurer has paid you out and let you keep the car, you can sell it to us. Cat A and Cat B cars can never go back on the road, so those are dealt with as scrap.

What affects the price

Age, mileage and model matter as they do for any car. After that it is the fault: what is wrong, whether parts are missing, and whether the car is worth repairing. Damage and mechanical faults reduce what we can offer for a car we are buying to sell on. If scrap is the best outcome we will say so and quote on that basis.

What you need

The V5C logbook, photo ID and a key. For a write-off, keep any letter from your insurer that states the category. Read how it works for the full process, or see our frequently asked questions.